Hello! magazine is published for English-speaking readers, and they relate to Mary because she is Australian.

I do not agree with that explanation at all. In France, we have this great interest in the Windsor and the Spanish Royal family. We are much more interested in these foreign houses than, let say, French speaking royals like the Luxembourg or the Belgians. And the interest in the Danes has rose critically right before and after Fred's wedding, and it's still hot. Before that, and even through Margrete's consort is French, this house had never been deemed very interesting in here.
So, again, there is something special about Mary and Fred...
:)

... she's not of the exotic beauty of her ex sister in law. Heck, she doesn't even work as hard (ok, not yet) as Alexandra.

Just a question, but has anyone reviewed what exactly Aledxandra did in the first few years of her marriage? It would be believable that she also took up the time to build her public schedule and initiate herseld into the various charities and organizations she heads/patronizes, would it not?

Mary can certainly not, in my opinion, equal Alexandras acheivements of many years in the 2 years that she has behind her already. It takes time. Furthermore, it would also be believable to think that Alexandras first few years were dedicated not only to the above, but to also producing a family.

Perhaps we should keep in mind that Alexandra has produced her family, while Mary is still working on this, and that Alexandra has many years that she has used to build her relationships with various organizations. It would be unfair and totally unrealistic to think that anyone could match those accomplishments in such a short time. Perhaps giving Mary the time to do so, and in her own manner would be the fairer thing to do?

... that others (including me!!) can see but not others. Really, I think that's the way it goes with most things. Some people like heavy metal, I personally hate it. It would not do me any good to ponder over how they can like it so much when to me, its just really crap.

We are all different. I think those who like the CP couple have in this and in the numerous other threads, already shown why they like this couple. Those who ask "why the interest" need look no further. If they can't see it, then its not because their question hasn't been answered, but because they fail to see and accept that those reasons are acceptable.

'Over the top displays of affection and love' Over the top - on somebody's wedding day?? I'm pleased to say that I don't understand that reasoning.

Please note, I didn't say that one thing was better than the other, just different. Personally, I can relate more with Letizia, because I'm a bit like that myself, but that doesn't mean other 'styles' of expression are worse - just different.

... that others (including me!!) can see but not others. Really, I think that's the way it goes with most things. Some people like heavy metal, I personally hate it. It would not do me any good to ponder over how they can like it so much when to me, its just really crap.

We are all different. I think those who like the CP couple have in this and in the numerous other threads, already shown why they like this couple. Those who ask "why the interest" need look no further. If they can't see it, then its not because their question hasn't been answered, but because they fail to see and accept that those reasons are acceptable.

Wonderfully said Jasl. I couldn't agree more!

"MII"

P.S Princess Olga,

Your response abut just liking her because of her father is terribly weird!

P.S Princess Olga,
Your response abut just liking her because of her father is terribly weird!

Margrethe, I take it I didn't express what I meant terribly well (that or you are "terribly" bad at trying to grok someone else's point), so I'll give it another try.

I once watched an interview with Mary's father, who came across as someone with a down to earth intelligence, and a seemingly very much intact moral compass. He seemed to be someone of such integrity, that I couldn't help but think that if he had had anything to do with Mary's upbringing at all, she surely would have gained an insight or two by the example he set for his kids. Up until seeing that interview, the impression I'd had of Mary was of someone seemingly arrogant, aloof, accomplished but shallow all the same. But that interview made me think that if she's anything at all like her father, she may not at all be like the impression I have had of her.
Make some sense?

You know what I seriously don't understand about that? How come they are so, so very popular?!

Thank you very much for bringing this one up Olga, I have been puzzled by it for a long time. My theory is that she is mostly (not exclusively) admired by anglosaxons and in anglosaxon magazines. If Mathilde, Mette-Marit etc would have been American/Australian/etc, they would have been more popular in those magazines as well. Add to that that the Danish CP couple is very pleasant to look at.
Please note that i do not dislike CP Mary, I am just wondering what makes her so fifferent from the other crownprincesses.

Thank you very much for bringing this one up Olga, I have been puzzled by it for a long time. My theory is that she is mostly (not exclusively) admired by anglosaxons and in anglosaxon magazines. If Mathilde, Mette-Marit etc would have been American/Australian/etc, they would have been more popular in those magazines as well. Add to that that the Danish CP couple is very pleasant to look at.
Please note that i do not dislike CP Mary, I am just wondering what makes her so fifferent from the other crownprincesses.

You and Prince Johnny25 and Tanika bring up some excellent points. And also, you're right that Mary and Fred are not bad to look at. Also, perhaps it is just too early to judge Mary anyway, and maybe we should have this discussison in a few years..on the other hand: Diana was hardly back from her honeymoon when she dove headfirst into all kinds of charity work..

There have been some very interesting comments in this thread- Great discussion!

There is a point missing from this discussion; I believe that what sets Mary apart is that she and her role gives all of us a little bit of hope. She was an average common young woman who met a boy in a bar- and he turned out to be a prince. How many of us don't secretly dream that would happen to us?!

I think this is the big difference between Mary, Letizia and Maxima. Letizia and Maxima were already in careers that brought them naturally to dinner parties hosted by the upper class of society- most of us can't relate to that. Very few of us are going to find ourselves socializing in a situation where nobles, princes and millionaires are regularly seated next to us at dinner. Letizia and Maxima were already in lives where that was a fairly common occurance and had closets filled with designer suits.

However, most of us have been out with friends to a bar (wearing our favourite jeans!), hoping it would be the one lucky night when and where we would meet the future love of our lives. Whether we want to admit it or not, I think we all secretly feel that WE could have been in Mary's shoes, had we just been at the right bar on the right night.

So... I think that makes us either love Mary or dislike her. When I read many of the posts on this thread, there is an underlying current of either admiration or criticism. My guess is that half of us feel she is doing a better job than WE would have done, and the other half feel that in her shoes, WE would be doing better.

All three of these women have made big sacrifices. Maxima also moved to Europe and learned a new language. All three of them gave up careers as well as any prospect of a private life.

I think that there are such strong feelings about Mary because, quite simply, she used to be exactly like all of us. She traded up her jeans and flip flops for diamonds and a title. Most of us on this site likely have fantasized at some point about our prospects of doing exactly the same.

You and Prince Johnny25 and Tanika bring up some excellent points. And also, you're right that Mary and Fred are not bad to look at. Also, perhaps it is just too early to judge Mary anyway, and maybe we should have this discussison in a few years..on the other hand: Diana was hardly back from her honeymoon when she dove headfirst into all kinds of charity work..

Now, we are not really judging her I think. Just wondering why she seems to be so terribly popular while others,in the same position or even with 'better papers' seem to be less so (on this board anyway). However, I assume the popularity ratings of Mary, Mathilde, Maxima etc in their OWN countries will be more or less on the same level (though popularity is not everything, as Queen Beatrix liked to remind us of in one of her interviews).

I think Eliza has a point here as well, Mary is easier to relate to then Letizia and Maxima, who were already mingling in 'higher' social circles (different ones then where the average person is mingling with anyway) or of Mathilde who was born as a noble-woman (and still seems to be one in every inch).

There have been some very interesting comments in this thread- Great discussion!

There is a point missing from this discussion; I believe that what sets Mary apart is that she and her role gives all of us a little bit of hope. She was an average common young woman who met a boy in a bar- and he turned out to be a prince. How many of us don't secretly dream that would happen to us?!

Yet couldn't you say the same thing about Mette-Marit? To me, her story is more of a fairy tale than any of the other Princesses. She went from party girl, to single mother who worked hard to support her sun, to crown princess. To me, that is just as much, if not more, of a fairy tale than Mary.

Yet couldn't you say the same thing about Mette-Marit? To me, her story is more of a fairy tale than any of the other Princesses.

Yes... but that was several years ago. I think the impact of her "Cinderella Story" has dulled with time.

I think many of us still relate more to Mary. I know that I don't relate to a former single parent waitress immersed in urban drug culture. I also don't think that Mette-Marit ever came across as the "average career girl" down the street.

I think we also tend to compare the Princesses who are more recent additons- maybe because the media tends to focus on the newcommers more?

You know what I seriously don't understand about that? How come they are so, so very popular?!

princess olga

I guess, for every "non understanding and mystified" person as your goodself, there must be fifty or more who think that Frederik and Mary are a great couple and a great Royal couple to boot.

There may be other reasons as well, that Mary gets more press than the others in the U.S. The other couples do not come from countries who participate in the "world series" baseball and so not recognised by the average American.

No, that cannot be correct, the "World Series" competition, does not extend outside the U.S. Well, that theory is blown!!

Here is a possible reason that Mary had a lot of press in the U.S. when she went to Paris. They all thought she was going to Texas and no one realised there was another Paris, outside of the U.S.

Margrethe, I take it I didn't express what I meant terribly well (that or you are "terribly" bad at trying to grok someone else's point), so I'll give it another try.

No, you are right..you expressed yourself quite poorly.
It seems that your attempt second time round, does infact make sense and I appreciate the response.
"MII"
________________________________________________________________

As has been said before, It appears that many (not all) who claim that they are just "trying to see what everyone else see's" & that "they really have nothing against Mary" are just having a difficult time getting their heads around the danish couples popularity, resulting in their favourite couples missing out on alot of the spotlight.

I agree with "PJ25" that the Crown Princely couple are the more attractive couple for anglo saxons & anglo saxon magazines. This is no doubt a huge contributor, in regards to their jump in popularity.

Really, the best thing to do for those who feel this way, is stop trying to understand before you give yourselves a terrible headache. If you cant see it by now, the chances of you ever seeing it are becoming increasingly slim. And, no amount of what we (Mary supporters) have to say will change your views even though we try to explain.

I would think that surely TRH the Prince & Princess of Asturias would have a much larger following in the US than Mary & Frederik considering the very big Spanish and South American communities within the states..Was their wedding not shown on American TV or something of the sort?

Location: Down the street. It's the third house on the right, United States

Posts: 7,672

Quote:

Originally Posted by Margrethe II

I would think that surely TRH the Prince & Princess of Asturias would have a much larger following in the US than Mary & Frederik considering the very big Spanish and South American communities within the states..Was their wedding not shown on American TV or something of the sort?

"MII"

Nope. Neither was Frederik & Mary's. They might have shown clips on TV but thats about it (at least that I know of). They never show royal weddings here....or funeral's....except for Diana's.

__________________

__________________

"Life is a succession of moments. To live each one is to succeed." - Corita KentLive, Highlander. Grow stronger. Fight another day. Highlander: The Series